In the line of duty
FOR a custodian of the law, there can happen, were kept out of the loop state government’s inaugural award by their political masters, “invented” rity, a rare sight in our administrative
be no better example. Within weeks and were moved out of handling to encourage civil servants to fight schemes to enrich themselves or system, these days. He knew some-
of assuming office, he had noticed ﬁnances and approvals. Having got corruption and misuse of funds. steal from the government. Those thing was wrong and he pursued it till
something was not all right. He no- everything in order, he called in the Corruption, leakages and misuse who had previously snitched on them the very end. We need more people
ticed that there were discrepancies police. About RM500,000 had alleg- of funds have always been said to were victimised or transferred where like him who brook no nonsense of
in documentation and instead of edly been siphoned by an ofﬁcer who be the pillars of misadministration in they would remain silent. staff – whatever position they are in.
leaving it to law enforcement agen- has since been indicted. the country. Because serious efforts The award scheme started by It is hoped that the exemplary deed
cies to investigate; he took it upon For what has been described as were not taken to curb these ills, the Penang Government must be by Justice Yusuf will prompt many
himself to chase the paper trail. Like a “heroic effort”, the Penang Syariah they have become “establishments” applauded and it must be said that others to emulate what he had done.
a true investigator, the accomplices Department Chief Judge Yusuf Musa which were beyond reproach. Many the good judge did not do it for the Hopefully, there will be many more to
and those who had allowed it to becomes the first recipient of the individuals, some aided and abetted money. In him, there is a man of integ- come after him.

letters Innocent until proven guilty
letters@thesundaily.com

WHILE the Penang government So who is verifying that the
Say no to loan-sharks
A question of
is to be commended for its zero alleged crime did happen? Who I APPLAUD the move by the Home Ministry
tolerance to corruption, the act is being charged with the crime? to “declare war”’ to wipe out the loan-shark
of awarding and announcing Who has been found guilty? menace. This menace to society has been al-
rewards to those who reveal By making announcements of lowed to grow in our country for too long and it

accountability wrongdoings raises several con-
cerns.
Why is the state government
the alleged crime and rewarding
the whistleblower, didn’t he pub-
lically convict the missing clerk
is now time to wipe them all out because they
are so inconsiderate and inhumane towards
defaulters who are unable to settle the loan.
WHILE acknowledging that Ali Khamenei, who showered giving out rewards for those who of the Syariah court even without Our government should also introduce
the total number of votes cast in accolades upon Ahmadinejad’s report crimes, when it is already proper investigations and trial? a law to prosecute and jail the loan sharks.
some 50 districts had exceeded triumph the day after the election a legal obligation to do so? A If that missing clerk is later Who knows what other kind of crimes that
the total number of voters in even though there were numer- person is committing an offence apprehended and charged in the loan sharks indulge in with the money
those districts, the Iranian Coun- ous protests over the outcome when not reporting crimes. court but is found to be not guilty, they collect from their lenders? They could be
cil of Guardians maintains that from respected figures such as Does reporting a crime mean would he not have grounds to behind other serious crimes like prostitution
the re-election of Mahmoud former president Muhammad that the suspect is guilty of the sue the state government for and human trafﬁcking.
Ahmadinejad was legitimate. A Khatami. Indeed, Khamenei accusation? defamation? Our citizens who borrowed from them are
lot of fair-minded people inside went further six days later in In the recent report of the Was this action by the state at fault too because if there is no demand,
and outside Iran will not be his Khutbah Jumaah (Friday fraudulent withdrawals from government aimed at combating there would be no supply.
convinced. Sermon) and harshly denounced the fixed deposit account of bail graft or just another political and It is more sensible to borrow from licensed
The 646 electoral irregu- protests against alleged electoral money, Chief Minister Lim Guan publicity stunt? moneylenders or banks.
larities cited by Ahmadinejad’s fraud. Eng was reported to have said
opponents – from ballot box By coming out so strongly that the state government is leav- Adri Hemy Abdul Ghani Nadura Kamarulzaman
stuffing to the sealing of ballot against Ahmadinejad’s op- ing it to the MACC to investigate. Jeddah Petaling Jaya
boxes before voting began to the ponents, the Supreme Leader
expulsion of their polling agents compromised the integrity of his
from polling stations – are so high office and sullied his own
serious that they warrant a full public image.
and free investigation into the Khamenei’s biased attitude
conduct of the entire election. and Ahmadinejad’s tarnished
Every ballot should have been victory have widened the rift
re-counted, the ballots should within the ruling class itself.
have been counter-checked There are perhaps more clerics
against the electoral rolls and and senior political personalities
the names and identities of the opposed to the Khamenei-Ah-
voters should have been verified madinejad rule today than be-
in the presence of not only the fore the election. This cleavage
agents of all the four presiden- within the ruling religious-cum-
tial candidates but also repre- political establishment may well
sentatives of some non-Western turn out to be the single most
electoral democracies. Such significant consequence of the
an open, transparent and flawed Ahmadinejad electoral
comprehensive re-count would triumph.
have eliminated the doubts and Even if it does not lead to
suspicions that persist in the immediate changes, the ruling
minds of so many people about clique obviously has lost a great
the outcome of the presidential deal of moral authority. Its brutal
election of June 12. suppression of the mainly young
Instead of demonstrating its voices of protest has alienated the
commitment to accountability clique from a significant segment
in the truest sense of the term, of the populace. Its apparent lack
the Guardian Council chose to of honesty and accountability
scrutinise only a small number vis-a-vis the recent election has
of allegations of electoral mal- undermined its credibility with
practices and examined only its own people and with the
10% of the votes cast. world at large.
The impression one gets is How long will such a clique
that the council is determined lord over its people when it has
to ensure that the election sacrificed principle for power?
result that gave a huge victory
to incumbent Ahmadinejad is Dr Chandra Muzaffar
maintained at all costs. President
Its stance is similar to that of International Movement
the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah for a Just World

Don’t hesitate to help
I AM a foreign resident. Recently, nearby clinic.
when I was going for my morn- What shocked me was that no
ing walk near my house, I saw one else came forward to help.
a motorcyclist taking a fall after Some passers-by just stood and
colliding with a dog. watched from a distance as if it
I was shocked and ran was some kind of “drama”.
towards the teenager who was To add insult to injury, a man
bruised on his hand and bleed- told the injured motorcyclist that
ing from his chin. I helped him he was lucky to be alive and
up and picked up his motorbike escaped not being run over by a
and belongings. speeding car.
I gave him some tissue to I believe to have a civilised
wipe his blood and asked him if and compassionate society,
he could move. Luckily, he was people here must show more
all right except for the bleeding concern for their fellow beings.
wound on his chin.
I insisted he get an anti-teta- Nizam Anwar
nus injection and drove him to a Penang